ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Law and Justice Senator Shahadat Awan on Friday said Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered 21 cases against the human organ traffickers since 2017.

Responding to the question, raised by Senator Seemee Ezdi, he told Senate that the FIA had arrested the gangs of 16 doctors and 85-private people. He said the cases were registered against the culprits as a result of sting operations. He said the government had taken actions in close coordination with Human Organ Transplant Authority (HOTA) and on information received from the reliable sources.

He said the offences under Human Organ Transplant Act had been made schedule offence of the FIA vide statutory regulatory order 353(I)/2017 dated 31-03-2017. Senator Ezdi expressed dissatisfaction over figure of the cases and proposed the FIA to be more active as the human organ trafficking had become a lucrative business and people selling their parts due to financial and other issues. Responding to the august house member’s apprehensions, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani clarified that the subject was devolved to the provinces after amendments in the Constitution.